Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 520

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( MARCH, 1923
“Through the blessing of my Pir and teacher I can tell the name of all diseases. I can whisper the call to prayer in the ears of the newly born babe. I can weave spells and put children to sleep with lullabies. I can dry up the womb of women and slay liars, adulterers and infidels. With cunning oils and potent herbs I can cure pain and paralysis and the eighteen kinds of leprosy. With boiled ghaggar herbs I can produce miscarriage. I can make a perfect cure of a barren woman by letting out blood from her ankle vein. I can assuage the pain of wounds with an ointment of soap and soda. If a man has toothache and cannot sleep I will pluck out his tooth with my forceps. Those who cannot see in the dark I can restore to sight by giving them the hot roasted spleen of a goat. I can cure a withered arm or benumbed leg by rubbing in the oil of a pelican. If a man is attacked by epilepsy, I apply the leather of my shoe to his nostril. If a man's face is awry, I show him the looking glass of Aleppo (half) and he is cured. I can cure jaundice with the milk of a she-camel. With_cooling draughts of dhannia I can assuago the fires of passion. When & man is at the point of death and gasping with his last breath I put honey and milk in his mouth. At the last agony when the expiring life sticks fast in the gullet of the dying man I recite the holy Koran and his soul passes away in peace." (This by the way is a curious accomplishment for a Hindu Jogi ; perhaps it is an interpolation.)
Ranjha then remarks by way of keeping up his role of Fakif. "But what cares a Fakir for your beauty or for your beautiful sister-in-law Hîr. Your Hír is a crane and she has been mated to an owl; your fairy has been yoked to an ans".
The last few words of this conversation are overheard by Her, who comes forward and talks to the Jôgi. She expresses her doubts whether the Jogi can ever cure her heartache.
Ranjha then tells Hir's horoscope. "I quote the opening lines. You were a little girl with your hair hanging down your back; he was a boy with the down of early youth on his upper lip, and he played on the flute." When the horoscope was finished, then Hîr stood up and said, "The Jogi's interpretation is a true one. He is a true Pandit and Jotshi. Tell ino Jogi, where is my lover who stole my heart away and ruined himself."
The Jogi replies "Why are you searching outside ? your lover is in your house."
He then induces Hîr to draw aside her veil and she recognises the Jogi as her old lover Ranjha.
Hir warns Ranjha to be careful of Sehti, her husband's sister, as Sehti will probably oppose Ranjha. Sehti soon appears and makes some contemptuous remarks about Jogis and Fakirs. Ranjha, remembering the hint given him by the shepherd, retaliates with somewhat pointed allusions to Sehti's love affair with Murad. Sehti retorts with some highly spiced abuse and threatens to knock the Jogi's teeth out.
Hir tries to make peace between Sehti and the Jogi, and Sehti turns her sarcasms on to Hir. Neither of these Jat women beat about the bush or mince their words and the dialogue is most racy and probably perfectly true to life.
Sehti then turns to her servant and tells her to give the Jogi some millet and send him away. Ranjha is furious at being given what he calls bird's food. The girl replies "all Jats eat it ; it's the father and mother of the poor!”
During this altercation Sehti manages to break the Jogi's beggar bowl, and he and Sehti indulge in further recriminations. Hîr intervenes again and receives the rough side of Sehti's tongue. "O virtuous one whose raiment is as stainless as a praying mat."